Reporter Lauren Fryer said on NPR that the scandal has caused the royal family’s popular support to drop to an all-time low, as more than 200 protestors gathered in front of the court calling for the princess to relinquish her title and for the king to abdicate.
Princess Cristina is King Juan Carlos' youngest daughter and seventh in line for the throne. She and her husband, Duke Inaki Urdangarin, have been accused of embezzling US$8 million through shell companies and cheating on their personal expenses.
The judges are now trying to determine if the couple will be charged. If they are tried and convicted, they could face up to six years of jail time.
Manuel Delgado, a lawyer who was attended the hearing, said the princess was composed but evasive. “She’s practically not answering anything. She doesn’t know, she doesn’t answer and that’s it,” Delgado told the Washington Post.
Spain’s economic and financial crisis (unemployment is at 26 percent) is fueling popular resentment and pressure for accountability from the royal family.
Reuters reports that an opinion poll last month put the king's popularity at a record low, with almost two thirds of Spaniards wanting him to abdicate and hand the crown to his son. Citizens say they are especially upset over an expensive elephant-hunting trip he took to Africa last year during a period of harsh budget cuts.
